root rot on Begonia Rex
Quick answer
If your Begonia Rex has root rot, the most likely cause is: Begonia rex develops rotting stems and crown when the compost is kept too wet or the surrounding air is excessively humid and stagnant. The plant is from tropical rain forests of Assam but it cannot tolerate waterlogged compost or saturated still air around its soft rhizomatous crown, so persistently wet conditions cause the stems and crown of Begonia rex to collapse and rot.
Start here:
- 1. If all the stems are affected, throw the plant away because the rot has spread through the whole crown and cannot be saved.
- 2. Otherwise remove the affected stems at the base with a clean cut and dust the compost surface with a fungicide powder to stop the rot spreading into the healthy rhizome.
Why Begonia Rex gets root rot
begonia rex
Begonia rex develops rotting stems and crown when the compost is kept too wet or the surrounding air is excessively humid and stagnant. The plant is from tropical rain forests of Assam but it cannot tolerate waterlogged compost or saturated still air around its soft rhizomatous crown, so persistently wet conditions cause the stems and crown of Begonia rex to collapse and rot.
How to reverse root rot on Begonia Rex
- 1
If all the stems are affected, throw the plant away because the rot has spread through the whole crown and cannot be saved.
- 2
Otherwise remove the affected stems at the base with a clean cut and dust the compost surface with a fungicide powder to stop the rot spreading into the healthy rhizome.
- 3
Allow the compost to dry out and only resume watering as in ideal conditions, keeping the surface of the compost dry between waterings and never leaving the pot standing in water.
Keep root rot off this Begonia Rex
Water Begonia rex only when the surface of the compost is just dry, allow the compost to dry out between waterings, and keep the plant in a well-ventilated room with bright indirect light so that humid air around the crown never goes stagnant.